Who puts in more effort - the French or the Germans?

Who puts in more effort - the French or the Germans?

In contrast to a general trend of declining work hours across Europe, the number of hours worked by the French has been on the rise since the mid-1990s. This is according to data published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

France's workforce, however, is unique. With a higher birth-rate and a relatively high percentage of the population not in work due to factors such as a long life expectancy and an early retirement age, around a quarter of the population in France is retired. This contributes to the country's workforce composition, which, when considering work hours divided by the total workforce, paints a more nuanced picture.

The European Union average is 776 hours of work per capita. France, with its rising work hours, clocks in at 1,494 hours per year, more than the EU average and even more than Germany's 1,340 hours per year. However, it's not straightforward to say that French workers work less than German workers when considering work hours divided by the total workforce.

Germany has a high rate of part-time employment (around 23%), and France also has a substantial part-time sector, though generally lower than Germany. This structural feature pulls the average annual hours worked per worker down in Germany more than in France because the average includes both full-time and part-time workers.

When averaged across the entire workforce (including full-time, part-time, and self-employed), average annual hours in Germany are among the lowest in OECD countries, due to extensive part-time work and strong work-life balance policies. French workers tend to have more full-time employment and thus higher average annual hours relative to Germany in this aggregated measure.

However, looking strictly at full-time employees, French workers actually tend to work more hours weekly than German full-time workers. Germany emphasizes shorter "usual" working weeks (around 25.9 to 27 hours are quoted for Germany), while French full-time hours are typically higher.

In summary:

| Perspective | French Workers | German Workers | Notes | |-----------------------------|--------------------|---------------------|--------------------------------------------------------| | Average hours per worker | Generally higher * | Lower | Due to fewer part-time workers proportionally in France[1] | | Hours worked by full-timers | Higher | Lower | Germany has shorter full-time "usual" hours per week[3] | | Workforce composition effect | Less part-time work | More part-time work | Part-time employment lowers average in Germany[1] |

While French full-time workers typically work more hours than their German counterparts, when averaged across the entire workforce including part-time workers, Germany’s average hours worked per worker tend to be lower than France’s, in line with OECD's more nuanced data analyses[1][2][3].

On average, French workers work 35.8 hours per week, while Germans work 33.9 hours per week (including full-time and part-time workers). France's public accounts minister stated that France works 100 hours less per person than Germany. However, this data includes children, pensioners, the unemployed, and other people not in the workforce.

The OECD data from 2024 shows that France worked an average of 666 hours per capita, compared to 724 hours in Germany. The 2026 Budget in France aims to save €40 billion to address the country's budget deficit. One of the measures proposed in the budget is to axe two public holidays.

Sources:

[1] OECD (2019). OECD Employment Outlook 2019: The Future of Work. OECD Publishing. [2] OECD (2020). OECD Employment Outlook 2020: The Changing Nature of Work. OECD Publishing. [3] European Working Conditions Survey (2019). Country Report: France. Eurofound. [4] European Working Conditions Survey (2019). Country Report: Germany. Eurofound.

1. In light of the OECD's analysis, it is crucial to consider the workforce composition when comparing average hours worked per worker between France and Germany, as French workers generally have more full-time employment and higher average annual hours, compared to Germany, where part-time employment is more prevalent.
2. The French government's proposal to axe two public holidays is one of the measures aimed at saving €40 billion to address the country's budget deficit in the 2026 Budget, as indicated by the OECD data from 2024, which shows that France worked an average of 666 hours per capita, compared to 724 hours in Germany. This policy shift could potentially influence the lifestyle and finance aspects of the French workforce, as well as general-news discussions on the topic.

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